Disabled Chesterfield couple in their 80s asked to queue for an hour and a half for Covid jab at town hospital

The couple, who did not want to be named, were attending their fourth vaccination appointment when they realised the car park was extremely busy.

A woman who was directing the traffic helped them to find a parking space close to the entrance due to their mobility issues but then they were then asked to join a massive queue of elderly patients, standing in front of the hospital, waiting for their vaccines.

As they only had ten minutes until their booked appointment they asked about the queue – only to be told there was a delay of about an hour and a half.

The 82-year-old man said: “What's the point in arranging appointments if we had to stand that long? It's just ludicrous! It’s infuriating that they offered more appointments than they could possibly hope to cover.

“There were maybe a hundred people outside the building. And how many were inside the building queuing around the corridors? My 84-year-old wife has mobility issues. We have a blue card. We couldn’t wait that long.”

The couple returned home and decided to wait for a future appointment at a pop up clinic.

He added: “The NHS has rightly been given high praise for it's response to Covid, and for it's exceptional performance in processing the enormous, and continuing effort in providing jabs.

“We had other jabs at Bolsover and in the market in Chesterfield and it's always gone clockwork. It’s been absolutely excellent. So what went horribly wrong this time?"

A Joined Up Care Derbyshire spokesperson said: "When booking a vaccination, the National Booking System advises to allow 30-45 minutes for the appointment. Our staff make every effort to keep waiting times down to this minimum, but there are times when we do experience delays due to circumstances beyond our control.

“This can include an unexpected shortage of vaccinators on the day, a larger than expected number of patients arriving without booked appointments, or patients arriving significantly ahead of time for their appointment. Our on-site team works exceptionally hard to reduce waiting times and provide support to patients in these situations where possible, including the use of wheelchairs for those who may be less mobile.

“We sincerely apologise to anyone who may have been affected by a delay beyond the 30-45 minute advised wait time, and to anyone who was unable to experience their vaccination as planned. We encourage patients to book a new appointment as soon as possible. Please rest assured that our team are working hard and are dedicated to providing this COVID-19 vaccination programme to our local population.

“We ask patients to bear with us while we work through any challenges that we may experience during the clinics, and that our staff and volunteers are treated with respect and dignity."